You Made Me Wait
by Mersea
Summary: An apathetic avenger. An emotionless Root member. And a...puppet. One sets about kidnapping her for his own plans, one ordered to guard her, and another out to kill her. Sasori x Sakura, side SasuxSaku, SaixSaku /Extended Hiatus/
1. The Foreshadowing

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Naruto…plus I got no money to sue for LOL_

**Fiction Rating:** _PG-13 _

**Genre: **_Romance/Humor/Action (I am going against the norm and this story will NOT be dark! It won't be the typical kidnapped-Sakura story either, but that's a bit later.)_

**Pairing:** _Main_ _Sasori x Sakura, side Sasuke x Sakura x Sai _

_Why do I like this pairing, you ask…? Because, I consider Sasori as the only dude who's ever seen Sakura at her best (and that meaning her best while not doing it solely for Sasuke's sake). Plus…this pairing actually makes an interesting love triangle…or square or whatever it is…as you'll see if you keep reading. I hope. _

* * *

"Sasori-dana."

He was ignored.

The blonde came over to his side, sliding down to seat himself cross-legged against the damp cavern wall beside him.

"Man, I'm bored. Isn't there anything to do around here!? How long are we supposed to effin' wait until our next assignment anyway?"

The red-head peered up with one glassy eye, the one he was currently adjusting with the tiny instrument in his hand.

That, admittedly, startled Deidara a bit. He gave an involuntary cringe and his face contorted in disturbance before he soothed his expression. Seriously, sometimes the blonde couldn't understand why something so undignified could be considered art.

Sasori's voice was his usual, impatient light rasp. "Hidan, something seems different about you, today."

Deidara's jaw dropped incredulously. DID HE JUST GET MISTAKEN FOR THAT OBNOXIOUS, WHINING SONOFA-!?

The blonde swiped off the eyeball staring blankly up at him from the floor. He suppressed a shudder and popped the darn thing into the empty socket of Sasori's puppet.

"WATCH IT!" came the puppet-master's angry response.

"It's Deidara! Deidara! Un! Tell me you haven't forgotten me already, Sasori-danna!"

"Oh."

That was the only reaction Deidara received. Sasori went back to tuning up his joints.

…

Something seemed a bit off, but before the blonde could put a finger on what it was, Tobi burst through the tunnel on the other end of the cavern. Oh crap.

"DEIDARA-SENPAIII!"

"Ughhh!" Deidara tried and failed to mask an indignant scowl. Shit, if Tobi caught up with him again-

"Sasori-danna!" the blonde hissed whisperingly. "You've got to hide me, un!"

Without glancing up, Sasori said back with a growl, "No, I have better things to waste my time on."

"I-! OOF-!"

"TOBI CAUGHT YOU!" the masked man cried triumphantly, getting dragged along the floor as he clung to one of Deidara's legs.

"GET OFF ME! UN!" the blonde tried unsuccessfully to pry Tobi off of him. "Now that Sasori-danna is back, GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE, YEAH!"

The swirly-masked man inhaled what sounded like a gasp.

Slowly, Tobi cranked his head towards the puppet-master's direction as if trying to force himself to see if it was true.

"T-T-Tobi is too good to die!"

Deidara rolled his eyes.

"B-bu-but Tobi thought Sasori-sama was dead! That's why Tobi took his ring!"

"Well," Deidara had to agree with a smirk, "You sure took a long time recovering, yeah, for not being dead, hm… How did you manage it, Sasori-danna?"

"A puppeteer should know the importance of keeping backups," the red-head man said simply. His concentrating eyes observed carefully as he flexed his fingers.

The puppet-master reached both hands together, touching fingers, and then drew them apart.

Not good. He could see the faint blue of his chakra strings between his fingers, but they weren't sustainable enough to be manipulating any battle puppets.

It was a spare, after all.

Sasori reached to touch the area beneath his cloak where the new centerpiece was inserted.

"By the way…" He waited until the blonde paused in trying to get Tobi away from using him as a shield. They both looked to him in askance.

"Was this one of my bodies left like this since I was gone?" Sasori asked lazily.

For some reason, Tobi gulped from behind Deidara.

"Umm I guess…is there something wrong, hmm?" Deidara guessed with one arched brow.

Already impatient with all this, the red-haired puppet-master got up from the ground. He extended his arms before him and tested the various mechanisms on his body.

Tobi fainted at the sight of the metal tubes which pointed out at them from the center of his palms.

Good…at the very least, he could control his own body well enough.

"Where are you going, Danna?" Deidara called to the red-haired puppet-master.

Sasori of the Red Sand glanced back with his steely eyes in a way which foretold of bloodshed.

"A part is missing from the assemble. I am going to retrieve it."

He didn't elaborate on what part it was. Definitely not, even if he only had a vague suspicion on where it could be.

It was his one major weakness. He wouldn't simply give that secret away to even the Akatsuki members.

But _that _kunoichi knows.

Regardless if she hadn't been cautious enough to take that part of him to make sure that he'd never rise again, he had to deal with her. If she was still alive.

Then, he'd need to find a way to restore himself to his full power.

"I'll be back soon."

…

"Deidara-senpai," Tobi whispered up from the floor as soon as the red-haired puppeteer was gone.

"Methinks we need to ask Zetsu-san where _that _went."

"…Huh?"

* * *

**Stage One: The Foreshadowing**

* * *

What was he doing here?

That was the question which spun round and round in her head as the kunoichi backed away, carefully, as stealthily as she could, along the wooden fence on the side of the road.

She watched as the man nonchalantly sheathed his sword as he gazed down indifferently at the motionless, masked ANBU members at his feet.

Maybe he hadn't sensed her there. Maybe she could get far enough to warn someone – anyone! Her shishou, Tsunade!

"…Sakura…"

His voice was a cool caress to her ears. Her breath hitched in her throat.

Sakura glanced up with wide eyes at the calm exterior of the still man turned sideways to her.

She knew she shouldn't be looking. Shouldn't be sucked in by his enchanting red eyes.

"Sasuke-kun…" the pink-haired kunoichi found herself whispering.

_Thump. _

Her heart made a skip in her chest. It was the first time she'd seen him since-…since that time in Orochimaru's lair. Yet, it hadn't been the right circumstance for her to look at him properly.

Uchiha…Sasuke…

The boy had grown so much. He was even taller than Naruto, who was taller than her.

Struggling to not become distracted by such trivial thoughts, Sakura forced herself on guard, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Wh…what are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously. Out in the backstreets of the very village he abandoned. In broad daylight.

She startled as he made a move, a tiny step which brought him closer. Wordlessly, one hand rose lightly, as if to reach for her.

He flashed out his sword in time to parry the katana aimed at his head.

"Sakura-chan." Her teammate Sai was suddenly before her, shielding her away. "I've already alerted the ANBU," he informed her, snapping her out of her trance.

"…Heh." Sasuke returned his sword leisurely to his side. "This is getting a bit troublesome."

His blood red eyes skimmed over to the two, resting a moment on the pink-haired kunoichi behind Sai.

"Since there is no hurry…I shall return another time."

"S-Sasuke-kun!"

But he was gone. It could've been a special jutsu, or maybe a genjutsu, but all traces of his chakra was gone.

Vanished completely.

"…" Relaxing slightly, Sai glanced sidelong at the kunoichi beside him. "What did Uchiha Sasuke want from you?"

"Sakura!" Sai called after her, but she didn't stop to glance back.

_Sasuke._

She clenched her teeth as she sprinted along the rooftops, her pink hair fluttering as she scanned from side to side with her jade-green eyes.

He had been so near. Why hadn't she been able to find words?

He had left so peacefully. Why hadn't she tried to stop him?

'_Isn't it because you're actually afraid of him, now?' _a voice in the back of her mind chided her mockingly.

'_And to think…once you childishly believed that you were the one who could understand him best.'_

Wrong. Wrong. It wasn't like that-!

'_Pffft… People do change, ya know…'_

"Shut up!" Sakura yelled out, squeezing her eyes shut and skidding to a stop, panting.

She wanted to see him again. She had to.

"Over here…Sakura…"

She pivoted at the sound of that voice.

And there he was, haphazardly laid back against the base of a water tank on the same roof. His luxurious black hair was slightly longer than back then, their darkness contrasting with his ivory light skin. The captivating irises of his Sharingan were redder than ever before, and a tiny, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his perfectly formed lips.

It was disarming, that faintly amused expression on his handsome features. So much so that it took a long moment before she could completely absorb the whole picture.

Uchiha Sasuke was grasping onto his right arm, below the shoulder, with a blotch of red spreading on the fabric of his white, high-collared shirt.

He was hurt…! Did he run into more of the ANBU just now?

Her reaction must've been immediate. Sakura didn't even pause to give it second thought.

"Heh…" Rather than looking up at her as she placed both hands over the bleeding slash on his arm, Sasuke bowed his head slightly with closed eyes. "You will never betray me…Sakura…"

She froze, jolting abruptly as his words registered in her mind.

"Sas-" the pink-haired kunoichi started to say, but he interrupted her thought by rising up.

"This is my last favor to Naruto," his cold voice arrested her to the spot. "Warn him to not come after me anymore. The next time he and I meet, I will see him dead."

…What?

"Wait-!" As soon as Sakura tried to rise up, her muscles protested and gave in. She had been too distracted. It wasn't until then did she perceive the fine, diminutive currents of electricity coursing through her body.

He had made sure she couldn't follow by using a paralyzing jutsu on her.

"Sasuke-!" she called after him, straining with the effort.

Some of her desperation must've surfaced in her voice, for the obsidian-haired Uchiha boy turned back to look.

He stood there, balancing at the very edge of the flat roof, gazing back with his emotionless mask.

A question, so quiet and unexpected, she wasn't sure if she heard him correctly.

"…Do you want to come with me?"

All the air seemed to have escaped her lungs. Her green eyes enlarged with a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"…Hmph." Sasuke briefly closed his eyes, amused by her strong reaction. When he looked back again, he wore the same expression he did that time she remembered so well, back then when the boy had told her _'You're annoying'_.

"I'll be back for your answer."

* * *

Her heart was still hammering against her ribcage as she stood before Tsunade's desk in her office.

"We don't know what he's really after, but Sakura-"

Sakura was betrayed into somewhat a jump as the Hokage's stern eyes fixed on her.

"You need to be careful."

The words her master didn't say were ones she didn't need to say, especially while in the presence of ANBU captains in the room.

'_I know your weakness when it comes to Uchiha Sasuke.'_

The pink-haired kunoichi lowered her green gaze.

She…hadn't been able to tell her everything. If Tsunade had asked specifically, then she wouldn't be able to lie to her master. But, of course the blonde-haired woman hadn't thought of asking her apprentice if the Konoha-defector had somewhat ambiguously offered to take her with him.

Somehow Sakura was having a hard time believing it herself.

"You, there!" Tsunade snapped at the nearest ANBU captain to her desk.

"Find me someone who is resistant to paralysis, immune to illusion techniques, and strong enough to defend Sakura until the ANBU can be alerted, you hear!?"

"But Hokage-sama…someone like that is-"

The golden-eyed Hokage slammed her fist into her desk, interrupting him.

"THEN GET TO IT THIS MOMENT!"

Her master turned back to face her.

"I will send someone suitable to guard you for now. Make sure you report your whereabouts to them at all times. Do you understand?"

Sakura bit her lip, but she understood the urgency of the situation. She nodded mutely.

The Hokage let out a long breath, massaging her forehead as the ANBU captains left the room to carry out her orders.

"He didn't say anything else?" Tsunade wanted to know.

"No," Sakura admitted. "I don't even think-"

"…Sakura," her master's voice warned. "…I'm not going to challenge what you believe in, but do keep in mind that Uchiha Sasuke has declared himself our enemy."

"Yes." Of course she hadn't forgotten. She had simply-…simply…

…

_Once. Just once. I want to hear him say what I – what _we_ – mean to him._

"The next time Sasuke shows up in Konoha," Tsunade's voice interrupted her thoughts, "we will capture him."

Sakura set her jaw in response, straightening her spine and fisting one hand into the other.

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou. Leave it to me."

* * *

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto zoomed in on her the instant one foot was out of the door to the Hokage's office.

Oh no. Her heart did a little heavy _thud _in her chest. She hadn't had time to figure out exactly what she was going to say to him.

"What happened!? Are you alright!? I heard something happened and you got summoned to the old hag's office!"

Okay. Okay. Okay. So they had decided to keep this incident discreet. Simple enough.

"I-…"

Whatever excuse Sakura had forthcoming, it died in her throat when she forced herself to glance at his look of unmasked concern.

"…No, nevermind," the pink-haired kunoichi amended hastily.

"Huh…?" His true blue eyes blinked in confusion.

Sakura offered him a smile in reassurance, one which she hoped didn't come out too strained. "Really. It's been taken care of. What time is it?"

That question at the end was meant to throw him off. And him being Naruto, it worked.

"Huh...? Um…hm…let's see…errr hold on!"

She watched her teammate as he fumbled through the seemingly bottomless pockets of his orange overalls – really, no other ninja in the whole history of existence wore orange, the color which screams _'I AM HIDING RIGHT HERE! ARE YOU COLOR-BLIND TO NOT SPOT ME OR WHAT!?'_

Bandage rolls, chopsticks, shuriken, cup ramen – don't ask – anything except a good ol' watch.

"Err…nevermind, Naruto. The sun's starting to set; I might as well head home already."

"Ah!" The blonde perked up. "I'll walk you home, Sakura-chan!"

Not that she still had that childish habit of turning him down in fear of raising his hopes, but Sakura didn't know how long she'd be able to hold up the act if he was next to her.

For better or for worse, the solution to her dilemma chose to present itself at that moment.

"Ah, there you are, Sakura. Naruto, too."

Naruto made a grimace at their dark-haired teammate as they turned to see him exit the Hokage's office.

"Don't worry, 'idiot' Naruto, I will escort Sakura-chan home," Sai declared with his typical host's smile as he approached the two.

"WHAAAT!?" Out of the two of them, Naruto's protest was the loudest. "What do you mean 'don't worry', you perverted bastard!? Who do you think you are!? And just who gave _you _permission to be walking Sakura-chan home!?"

"Tsunade-sama's orders," Sai replied simply, unaffected.

At this, Sakura's jaw dropped as low as Naruto's.

Oh, you got to be kidding me. HIM!?

"SAY WHAT!?" Naruto drew back in horror. "You-…old hag-…orders-…!?" he spluttered incredulously.

"Oh? You didn't hear? About Sa-"

At this point Sakura had clapped a hand over his mouth to prevent him from saying the forbidden name.

"You," the kunoichi growled lowly next to Sai's shoulder, "do not mention that in Naruto's presence."

Their blonde teammate was prone to overreacting when it came to Sasuke. If Naruto caught onto the drift of what happened, there was no way he'd be leaving her side for weeks to come. Not to mention that's exactly the sort of reaction which Sasuke's warning meant to prevent.

"Huh?" Naruto looked from one to the other in utter confusion.

"Sa-who? About what!?"

Sakura let go of Sai quickly, waving a dismissive hand. "Haha…what Sai meant to say is…uh…what did you mean to say, Sai?" the girl prodded him lightly, inwardly screaming at him to come up with something fast.

"…That is to say…" Sai complied with a deadpan expression while awkwardly going around the detail Sakura seemed to want to have left out "…Sakura and I are together now."

…

"NO!" she roared, horrified. "SAI! TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING PUT TOGETHER DOES NOT EQUAL THEM 'BEING TOGETHER'! DO NOT EVER – EVER – CONFUSE THAT AGAIN, _DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?_"

"…Uhm…Not really, but-"

"JUST DON'T! ACK-! NARUTO!"

Naruto had already fainted dead away.


	2. How the Nightmare Began

"…_Sakura…"_

It was dark. Dark. She couldn't see.

That voice. A male's voice. Whose voice?

Ah-! Ah-! The scene around her was spinning, revolving around her as a spiral of fallen leaves rose from the forest ground.

Damn it. A genjutsu!? Where the hell was Sai? And Naruto! Even Kakashi-sensei! Wasn't she with them just a moment ago!?

"Right here, Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice sounded beside her, out of breath. "Don't panic! I'll get you out of that illusion!"

If she hadn't been panicking, she might have noticed that something seemed amiss. But, she was panicking, all too aware of the garnering sense of dread welling up inside her.

Her hands were shaking as she told him hurriedly, "Yes, hurry, Naruto!"

"Damn it!" she heard Naruto curse. "Where is that bastard Sasuke at a time like this!?"

She blinked. Suffocating.

It wasn't until then did she realize upon looking around her that they were in a forest. A dark forest. One that she couldn't quite place but it gave off a feeling of déjà vu.

Her heart did a light jump as her eyes landed on the three figures beneath the gigantic upraised roots of an overgrown tree.

A blonde Genin boy, unconscious. Laying next to him, an obsidian-haired Genin boy, also unconscious, a seal at the side of his exposed neck burned a fiery orange. That cursed seal.

The little girl, dirty and haggard, struggling to keep herself awake beside them both.

Herself.

"Hey Sakura…"

Strong arms encircled her, from behind. The embrace was anything but warm.

"Why didn't you tell me about Sasuke…?"

"Naruto-" She turned, ready to plead, ready to explain herself.

But it was Sai's steely gaze she met with.

"Why didn't you try to stop that traitor?"

Her mouth opened, dry, but that too, she was about to answer.

Until his eyes bled into a true, crimson red.

At once she was at a loss as she stared at the pale skin, at the dark, long strands of his raven-black hair.

Slanting over slightly, the person she recognized as Uchiha Sasuke asked next to her ear,

"…_Was your love for me not strong enough?"_

* * *

**Stage Two: How the Nightmare Began**

* * *

She screamed herself awake.

"What is it, Sakura! Is he in here?"

The dark form crouching on her windowsill, Sai's outline. Her window. Next to her bed. In the wee hours of the morning. It took a few seconds to string all of that together.

"Ah, so this is how Ugly looks like in the morning."

Sakura did a double take.

"OUT!"

* * *

A nightmare.

Sakura finished toweling off her damp pink hair. She hadn't been able to get back to sleep, so in the end settled for a hot shower.

Making her way over to the drawer, her hand paused in mid-action of reaching for her comb. Of all the picture frames lined up on atop the drawer, only one was turned facing the wall. The former Team Seven.

One day when she was strong enough, she'd be able to return it to its proper position. Or put it out of sight forever.

"Sai."

Receiving no response, the kunoichi went to her bedside window. She drew it open and her jade-green eyes were greeted with dawn.

Her short-haired teammate was resting against the section of the wall right below her window.

"What are you reading?" Sakura asked as a way of greeting.

He looked up with his usual smile that was too delicate to be anything but artificial – for a shinobi.

"I have been looking," Sai told her. "But, I cannot find this 'being together' which you spoke of. What does it mean?"

"Uh, you know what…just forget it."

Okay…so they were short on manpower in preparation for war. But really…why did Tsunade stick her with Sai? Couldn't there have been anyone more suitable?

"But, I want to know," Sai informed her, persisting. "Is it another form of these 'bonds' which people possess?"

…

Feeling a muscle in her jaw twitch in exasperation, Sakura propped one elbow on the windowsill and explained, "It's an expression you use to describe the relationship between a girlfriend and boyfriend, get it, now?"

"Girlfriend and boyfriend." Regardless if he really understood it or not, Sai nodded sagely. "I see, now. Naruto-kun fainted last night due to the shock that such an ugly hag could be my-"

For the second time that morning, he found himself flung off fourth floor.

* * *

"Sakura-chaaaan!"

Incoming headache at twelve o'clock.

Sakura strained a smile. "Good morning, Naruto."

The blonde stopped short at the sight of the tall, dark-haired Root member following her at a safe distance.

Naruto growled. He crouched down in an aggressive stance. And by all means he was blocking her way to the Hokage's Tower.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," Sai greeted easily with a smile.

"Stop! Naruto!" It took all her might to restrain the blonde from attacking the indifferent Sai behind her. "There are…circumstances!"

"Circumstances? You bastard! What have you done to blackmail Sakura!"

"No! It's simply because-…simply because-!" Crap, what kind of excuse was she supposed to come up with!?

"Because," Sai cut in casually, "Sakura and I are 'Girlfriend and Boyfriend' so there is no need for you to worry about us."

Again, the kunoichi's jaw dropped in absolute incredulousness. But this time Naruto was out cold before she even began rounding on Sai.

"SAI! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST TELL NARUTO!?"

He gazed back, an emotionless mask.

"I said, Sak-"

"I DON'T MEAN REPEATING IT! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT 'GIRLFRIEND' MEANS!?"

"A female friend whose company is frequented, is that not correct? And since it's my orders to-"

"NO!" She was roughly shaking an unconscious Naruto by the shoulders at that point. "Don't listen to him! We're not like that!"

Sai only smiled that infuriatingly insensitive smile.

"Hm? But it worked out for you, did it not?"

He ducked her punch.

* * *

And that was how they officially became a couple.

No, that was sarcasm.

She'd be damned if Naruto was going to go flapping his mouth at this 'news' to everyone, but it didn't seem that it happened yet. He was still much too traumatized.

Sakura had spent the majority of the day. And the next day. And the day after that. Avoiding Sai as much and as far as possible. Call it fleeing practice.

When she finally found herself alone for longer than half an hour, however, she started to feel a bit uneasy.

Not that she felt particularly guilty for making his job harder like that.

Nonetheless, the medic-nin found herself backtracking to where she'd last remember seeing him. The edge of Konoha's heavy forest where she'd been training earlier.

"…Sai?"

He was still resting, cross-legged against the bark of a tree, nodding off. Sakura inhaled a breath.

She knew at that moment that the boy had been missing out on sleep in favor of guarding her day and night. Taking his job seriously. He was still human, after all, despite being an emotionless member from the Root division.

"Geez, seriously," the pink-haired kunoichi scoffed, squatting down before him. "Do you really think I'm in that great a danger?" Naturally, his eyes remained closed and he didn't reply.

"I don't even think Sasuke will return," Sakura admitted to him, seeing that he was probably catching up on his deep state of sleep which he'd been neglecting.

Sighing softly, the kunoichi turned to leave him to rest in peace.

His hand on her shoulder stopped her from getting up.

And coming from Sai, it was way too intimate a gesture for her to dismiss with just a scowl.

"Hey, you!" Sakura snapped. "Just because we're 'together' in front of Naruto, doesn't mean-"

Red Sharingan met her eyes unblinkingly.

The world suddenly swept into black and white as she felt the blood drain from her face.

"Sa-…Sasuke!?"

Slowly, and deliberately, a small smile which could almost be constituted as cruel lifted one corner of his pale lips.

"…Sakura…"

Immediately she scooted back, up on her feet before she even had time to regain her breath.

No. She wasn't dreaming. He was actually here.

Shakily, the kunoichi rested a hand on the hilt of a kunai. She wasn't hopeless enough to mistaken this for a social call.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" Sakura asked testily.

Her first love and former teammate watched her steadily, one of his arms propped against his knee. He didn't seem to be in a hurry.

'_Where is Sai?' _That thought briefly crossed her mind, but the instant Sasuke spoke he grabbed her entire attention.

"I need you."

Her mind blanked.

She saw him rise up. Saw his tall, lean form reach higher than her head as he stood before her.

"…Or more specifically," Uchiha Sasuke amended in response to her utter shock and incomprehension, "I need a medic-nin of your caliber. Tsunade's own apprentice."

She knew what he was asking.

Medic-nin.

Sasuke.

Missing-nin.

Betrayal.

The very notion of it should have repulsed her, shaken her out of her daze.

Ha…

Sakura bowed her head. "You, Sasuke…?" She smiled, but it was a smile to herself. "Need me…?"

She gazed up, green eyes glittering like hard emeralds.

"_Me_, Sasuke? You're asking _me? _I don't mean anything to you. I've_ never_ meant anything to you."

It was a statement. She made it into a statement. A statement he confirmed with indifference.

"You don't."

As much as she expected it coming, she couldn't prevent it from hurting.

…

"…Then why?" Sakura asked quietly, searching the flawlessly handsome face before her for any sign, anything.

His quiet, tranquil voice answered her.

"Because if it's anyone…it has to be you."

She was not a love-struck fool to believe that there was any hidden meaning in that. The kunoichi's sharp mind was able to perceive the words he didn't say after that line. The words he didn't need to repeat again.

"…_You will never betray me…Sakura…"_

Sakura bowed her head again, biting down the bitter emotion swelling in her chest.

What could she say? He was right.

He had probably known that fact since long ago, when she had faithfully kept shut about the cursed seal he'd received in the Forest of Death during their Chuunin exam.

Sometimes she wondered…if only she hadn't kept silent…

Even if he hated her for that…

If only the downward spiral had been halted at that point…

Would Naruto have had to chase him back…and fail so miserably…?

…

"Judging by the fact that Naruto isn't with you right now…you haven't told him that we've met a few days ago," Sasuke observed.

Her arm twitched. She couldn't tell with just his indifferent tone what he thought of her actions. Sakura looked up, defiantly, hoping desperately that her eyes weren't glossing over too obviously; hoping the corners of her lips weren't quivering.

"That is because…" Sakura said each word with conviction "…there is something I've been wanting to tell you, beforehand."

His red eyes were dark and beautiful. There was no way he didn't see it coming. The Sharingan had the power of foresight, after all.

But it could be due to his sheer disbelief that he had allowed an opening for her fist to connect to his jaw.

If she had used chakra to strengthen that punch, he would've had enough time to avoid it completely. Nonetheless, Sakura was panting as if she had just hit aside an entire mountain.

"That was for Naruto, you insensitive, revenge-driven bastard!"

Which isn't to say that her punches weren't something to be feared, despite not using any chakra. Naruto and Sai could testify to that.

…

"…Heh." Raising the back of one hand to his mouth, Sasuke wiped away the thin line of red which trailed down one corner of his lips. "…I'll take that as a 'no'."

Slowly, he turned his face back in her direction, adjusting his stance into one more suitable for combat.

"…You have gotten stronger…Sakura…"

His eyes gleamed menacingly red.

"…However…" Sasuke's lips tugged up ambiguously. "That was not meant to be a request."

_Oh._ So now he was getting serious. Oh. Crap.

"Sakura!"

Sasuke whipped out his sword, splattering black ink in all directions as he diced Sai's serpents. He didn't even turn to look.

"Sai!?" Sakura stared, horrified at the sight of blood trickling down one side of her teammate's exposed stomach, which he was using one hand to cover.

"Hmph. He's still alive?" Sasuke's stoic gaze landed on the wounded Leaf-nin. Sakura heard the sound resembling a chorus of chirping birds as electricity flitted across his form. "He is starting to become a nuisance."

She didn't hear the last sentence. The next thing she knew, she was already at Sai's side, examining his wound as much as she could, trying to pull his arm away from obscuring her view.

"He is too strong."

Sai's dark eyes were fixated on the loose, casual stance of Uchiha Sasuke.

"Get out of here," her teammate told her calmly.

"What!?" Sakura whispered back, instinctively matching his low voice.

"It is you he's after. Get away, now. Find someone for help. Do not worry about me."

"I can't do _that!_" What kind of medic-nin leaves her teammate behind and runs for her own life!?

"Ugly. Do you realize what will happen if you don't get away?" Sai asked her seriously.

With a start, she understood what he was saying.

Taken from her village. Missing-nin.

Sai gave her a nod. "I will hold him off. Go."

With a thick swallow, Sakura returned his nod.

She ran.

She wouldn't look back.

Sai, she knew, wasn't weak. He would be fine.

But that didn't mean she was safe. She had to reach someone, alert someone.

God, why did the gap between the village and the training grounds seem so freaking large at times like these!?

Sakura let out a gasp, sliding to an abrupt stop as she was intervened.

No…no way! Hadn't she only just left them behind!?

But even as that thought crossed her mind, she knew something was different. There was something different about its presence altogether.

Languidly, the figure lifted its head, revealing a pair of glowing red eyes in its depths.

When it reached up to pull the black hood off its head, setting loose a matting of long red hair, Sakura was beginning to suspect that she'd been caught in a genjutsu back there.

Before she saw his face clearly under the sun, before that deceitfully angelic smile appeared on his perfectly symmetrical lips, the name was already on the tip of her tongue.

"You-…S-…Sasori…?"

"Hello, little girl."

* * *

**A/N:** Uh…why did it end up being more Sasori x Sakura x Sasuke instead of Sasori x Sakura x Sai? Because I kinda need Sasuke to set up this story. I promise you'll see more Sasori soon…


	3. Starting With a Lie

**A/N: **I shall immortalize the names of the first three fans to this fic atop this chapter: **sizuka chan, Emo, **and** Luna Moonsurf – **I'll be sure to add more Sasuke scenes, Tobi scenes (lol), and a Sai vs Sasuke battle for you three…later…

Hopefully I can convert a few readers into Sasori x Sakura fans by the end though… Can't consider this a successful story otherwise.

* * *

"WHAT!?"

Being a captain of the ANBU meant being able to face the consequences of reporting news to a furious Tsunade without as much as a flinch.

"Hokage-sama, what are your orders?"

"Not only allowing an intruder to enter Konoha TWICE, you let him ESCAPE BOTH TIMES!? On top of that, Sakura is suspected to have been taken by him!?"

The woman was straining to not lose control of her voice volume, and that much was evident by the way her arms were shaking in rage.

"As having been reported by members of the tracking team;" the ANBU captain supplied calmly, "our nin-dogs were able to pick up on Uchiha Sasuke's trail, but it seemed to be leading a separate direction from Haruno Sakura's altogether. There is the possibility that he had accomplices with him on this, but our nin-dogs were unable to identify any other individual's scent."

The platinum blonde woman sank down heavily in her seat, trying to interpret what he had just reiterated.

What did it mean…?

Her fist clenched on top of her desk.

It was not possible that Sakura had left of her own will. Simply not possible. She trusted that girl's compassionate but honorable mind.

"Hokage-sama, your orders?" the ANBU captain kneeling down on one knee before her desk prodded again. "Uchiha Sasuke, or Haruno Sakura?"

Tsunade looked up with stern authority.

"Send a rescue team after Haruno Sakura, _immediately_."

* * *

**Stage Three: Starting With a Lie**

* * *

"You-…S-…Sasori…?"

It was him, wasn't it?

_It was him, wasn't it!?_

Those eyes like red stained glass. Those sculpturesque, alabaster features on his exposed face above the collar of his black cloak. And no one else possessed that poisonously disarming smile which was exclusively his.

His voice brought it all back to her. A low hum which flowed with an undercurrent of malice.

"Hello, little girl."

He barely allowed her time to let out a gasp before he flicked up two fingers, the invisible chakra strings attaching themselves to the two swords jutting out from their two slots in his back.

Those swords whipped out at her without further warning, slashing furiously.

"What. the. _hell!?_" the medic-nin bit out each word individually as she jerked away from each swipe.

It had to be an illusion.

"You're supposed to be _dead!_" Sakura spat out between breaths.

"Oh, come now."

The red-haired puppet-master withdrew his arm leisurely, temporarily calling back his two swords which hovered next to him like ghostly spirits.

He spoke to her with half-lidded eyes and a lazy smile, as if she were a child who didn't need to be treated with caution.

"You didn't think that, with such an obvious weak spot, I'd allow myself be finished off that easily?"

…

But, it wasn't_ fair_.

…Not that a criminal like him would take something like that into consideration.

Sasori's red-carnation eyes followed the direction of her concentrated stare.

A light, knowing smirk formed on his as he reached upwards in an unhurried manner, undoing the buttons from the top of his cloak down.

She was watching his gestures, nervously, her green eyes as wide as he'd remember them being during their first confrontation.

He didn't remove his cloak completely, but by the time he undid the button at the center of his chest the cloak slid off one of his smooth, wooden shoulders, showing her what she obviously wanted to see.

"…Well…?" the red-haired puppet-master prompted with faint amusement.

The kunoichi had set her jaw, a thin trail of sweat tracing the curve of her face. She was staring at the thing at the center of his chest, unmarred and marked by the red character, 'Scorpion'.

"Imagine my humiliation," he said monotonously, when she didn't give a response, "being the first member to fall. But…"

Sasori shrugged his cloak back over his shoulder, the motion letting his fiery hair rustle freely about his head. He dropped into a battle stance. "I guess being immortal makes up for it."

She was in trouble and she knew it.

First of all, she wasn't a long-distance fighter in the first place. How the hell was she supposed to get up close to him to be able to smash that thing into bits?

That was the second thing. Not only was he supposed to be _dead_, but apparently he – or that centerpiece of his, rather – had been restored, _completely._

Self-proclaimed immortals never looked as pain in the ass as they did then.

Pulling up her gloves tighter, Sakura mirrored his stance, sliding one foot back until it hit a large chunk of rock behind her. "Or I can put you out of your misery."

The light, carefree expression on his face darkened a notch. His fingers moved.

The two swords he was manipulating with chakra strings dug crisscrossed into her sides. But that was a clone of the pink-haired kunoichi which she had created in place of the large chunk of rock she'd kicked up at the last second.

"HA!" Sakura yelled out, shattering the twin swords along with the sizable piece of rock they were embedded in.

"Coming all the way into enemy territory," she spat, turning to glare at the puppet-master "is your last mistake."

The look on his face, at first, was unreadable. Then, he smiled. Eerily.

Drawing his right arm back, Sasori rolled the sleeve of his cloak up to his elbow.

Sakura tensed as a metal tube twisted out of the center of his palm.

Third thing; _he_ was a goddamn range fighter who knew how to keep his opponents at bay.

But it wasn't flames or corrosive acid which came shooting out at her this time.

Needles.

"Guh!"

Sakura back-flipped, out of the range of the spray of long menacing needles. She retreated, or tried to, knowing very well that she couldn't take him on by herself.

His assault was relentless. He had her complete attention for her to evade his needles, of course, but that did not excuse her carelessness.

She should have been smart enough to question herself why he was only employing one hand.

Sasori lifted his free hand and flicked a finger. Sakura realized too late that his chakra strings must be still attached to fragments of his shattered swords.

"Ah!" the pink-haired kunoichi raised her arms, shielding herself from the metal shards which she couldn't avoid in time.

Fourthly. Sasori of the Red Sand uses freakin' _poison _as his specialty. A mere scratch was enough.

Poison which effects are instantaneous, at that.

* * *

"TSUNADE!"

The panicked blonde flew through the door to her office. The very moment right after the ANBU captain had made his report. Impeccable timing, as usual.

"Why has Sai been taken by the emergency medical team!?" Naruto demanded in his loud freaking-out voice.

"What happened to Sakura-chan!?"

He was about to pour forth more questions, but she halted him abruptly.

"Sasuke."

If there was one thing which could silence the boy under any circumstance, it was the name of his former teammate.

"Apparently," the female Hokage added, "Uchiha Sasuke appeared in Konoha for the purpose of taking Sakura as a medic. The specifics aren't clear, but we are suspecting that he has succeeded in doing so."

"…What…?"

Naruto had gone still, but at those words a trembling ran down his body. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.

"Sasuke…that bastard…"

He said it as if he meant it, but the blonde woman knew better. The boy was simply shaken by the fact that Sasuke had taken yet another teammate from him.

"I WILL CHASE HIM DOWN!" Naruto howled with determination.

Tsunade watched him warily. It was risky. For all they knew, it could simply be a trap. But then, Sakura had reported that Sasuke did tell the girl to warn Naruto to stay away. Was that simply a provocation?

Nonetheless…by the look on Naruto's face, she knew he was going to go no matter what she commands.

"Fine. You will join the rescue team at the main gate in ten minutes."

* * *

And that hadn't been a dream.

But if it was a genjutsu, then it was one heck of a genjutsu. Geez.

She never got Naruto out of his ramen-addiction.

She never got to see Kakashi-sensei without his mask.

She never admitted to Ino that her friend was right about short hair suiting her better.

And dammit, she hadn't ever gotten to kiss her first love even once.

"Urgh…"

Groggily, Sakura noted that the ground stopped moving.

Then it got up and smacked her in the face.

…the hell?

"…So you came to."

Her heart lurched in her chest.

She remembered. Sasuke. _Sai._ Omigod. And _HIM._

"How are you feeling, little girl?"

Absolutely zero doubt in her mind that he meant that as a provocation.

She couldn't-…couldn't move at all. It wasn't that she couldn't _feel _anything, but oh god, her entire body felt like one dreadful weight was pulling down on her from below the earth. Kinda like the sensation of every fiber in her being had fallen asleep.

Except for the ones in her organs, she hoped, otherwise she'd already be dead.

'_You bastard' _Sakura tried to say, but her tongue and the entire mouth area felt like lead.

"What was that?" Sasori's amused voice asked down at her, as if reading that thought.

…

She would _so _give up whatever right then to be able to smash him into itsy bitsy splinters of wood.

Correction; she'd give up _more_ than that, the notion which she rephrased when a hand reached down and pulled her up by the collar of her red uniform.

When her vision had stopped swimming, Sakura found herself looking straight into the marble red eyes of her captor.

Wait, captor?

He's…he's real?

It wasn't just an illusion?

All that had happened back there was true?

…And she was still alive?

Some of her puzzlement must have reflected in her jade-green orbs.

Sasori's lips twitched up at one corner. That tiny gesture startled her, making her realize the proximity.

She had never thought the day would come when she'd be face-to-face with an S-rank criminal, his face mere inches from her own. And still be alive…for however short the duration, anyway.

"Make one excess noise, and you'll find that I am an unforgiving man," Sasori warned her coolly.

Before her sluggish – possibly drugged – brain could even process that, he reached up with his other hand and pricked what felt like a long needle into the underside of her chin.

Her response was immediate.

Sakura screamed.

Instantly Sasori's hand came up and clamped her jaw, forcing her to silence.

His voice was now a low, menacing rasp. "What. did I just tell you?"

She swallowed thickly.

Slowly, the puppet-master loosened his hold, but that made it worse since his fingers lingered warningly on her skin.

She couldn't help it. She screeched again.

"WHY ARE YOUR FINGERS WARM!?" Sakura yelled out at the top of her lungs – or as loudly as she possibly could in her poisoned state, anyway.

Not exactly the first thing to be concerned about in her situation. But she was drugged. She was afraid. And he was a freakin' _PUPPET_, for god's sake!

A sound of disapproval got her attention. Sasori's look of displeasure was a frightening one.

Sakura swallowed again and her voice got lost temporarily down her throat.

Finally, the medic-nin summoned up enough willpower to croak out, "…What…do you-…?"

A sinfully innocent smile adorned his lips.

"You have something of mine."

…

It could be that the drug was occupying too much of her brainpower.

But…huh…?

"Excuse me…?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked incredulously.

"You took something from me. I came to get it back."

…

Why are all the bishounen mentally disturbed?

No, wait, she did _not_ just think that.

"Listen, freak," Sakura spat out, "I don't the _hell_ know what you're talking about!"

That smile befitting of an angel did not leave his lips.

"…Then I suppose there's no point in keeping you alive."

She choked.

"We can…talk about this…?" Sakura winced at the way her voice came out as a whimper.

"Good girl."

He set her down, amazingly, and not just you know, dump her unceremoniously like before and see how many combinations of curse words she could come up with in a minute.

Two things.

Judging by the density of the trees and the position of the sun in the sky, she was no longer very near Konoha.

And she still had…no idea what he was talking about.

…

It was silent. She wondered briefly if Sasori was waiting for her to say something.

"Is it possible for you to, um…undo this numbing thing on my arms, too?" Sakura tested by saying. "…You have no idea how awkward it is to be conversing while lying down."

She waited. Not exactly sure what sort of response she was expecting.

In the silence which followed Sakura's ears picked up the distant sound of running water.

A river? A lake? Her mind flitted through the various water-flows surrounding Konoha, trying to estimate her distance from her village.

She saw the man-puppet kneel beside her. Felt him press a needle into each of her shoulders.

Well, that was surprisingly courteous of him.

He will be regretting that.

"I will not tolerate any funny moves," Sasori informed her, backing himself away. At least he knew well enough to avoid coming too close. "Now, will you speak?"

The warm sensation had reached the tip of her fingers. Inwardly, she marveled at the quick effects of his poisons and antidotes.

"Er, yes…yes I have what you're looking for, but…" Sakura propped herself up with her arms so that she was sitting upright. "Obviously, I don't keep it with me…ouch!"

The medic-nin doubled over, placing her arms across her stomach. "I-…I think your poison or drug or whatever has side effects!"

Seeing that his poison this time worked by freezing the muscle cells in her body rather than destroying them…he meant to keep her alive. He was simply preventing her from escaping by keeping her legs immobilized.

His low, humming voice scoffed, sounding every bit like someone who knew the effects of his poisons very well, "That won't work on me, little girl."

But he had made one major miscalculation. He had underestimated – or had forgotten – her abilities as a medical ninja.

"Oh…right…I guess it's just my monthly time."

Too bad she didn't get the chance to see his reaction, heh.

Passing her hand over her legs to speed up homeostasis the rest of the way, Sakura used her other hand to pull out an explosion tag and kunai from her beltpouch.

_Bang._

* * *

_**Please note:** Bishounen means, basically, a pretty boy._

_Also, the scenes of this chapter aren't in chronological order, in case you're confused._


	4. A Proposition

"Suigetsu."

The swordsman choked on his straw and broke into a fit of coughs.

"Oi, Sasuke! You're back already?" Suigetsu turned to greet him. "…Not that I was slacking off or anything."

His red Sharingan took slid past the man. Looked like the other two haven't returned from their respective duties yet.

The silver-haired swordsman did a double take. "Jeez, what happened to _you?_"

"I got interrupted by some minor hunter-nins," Sasuke replied simply. "Nothing serious."

Absently, he reached up to touch one side of his lower lip, wondering if it was still bleeding.

"No, man…" Suigetsu said with a half-smirk, half-frown. "It's the first time I've seen you 'smile'. Damn creepy."

He froze in mid-action, taking that in.

Sakura, the blatantly obvious girl who had never raised her voice against him; who had never laid a hand against him. Anyone else but him.

Yet, instead of anger, regret – anything else, he was…smiling…?

"Heh…" Dropping his hand back to his side, Sasuke fixed his expression. "Like I said; nothing serious."

"…O-kay…?"

* * *

**Stage Four: A Proposition**

* * *

Her lungs were choking her. Her heart contracting too painfully. But she didn't have time to pause to shake off the remaining effects of his poison in her system.

Plan. A plan. There was no way she would be able to outrun him forever. He was a freakin' _puppet_, for god's sake. Does a puppet even tire?

The sound of rushing water was a relief to her ears. She was getting closer.

That's right…that's how she'll do it.

Sakura hissed in a breath, gathering enough chakra to her feet in time to skip away from the onslaught of poisonous needles from behind.

She couldn't even locate him, in the setting dark. But she knew that he was right behind her, somewhere.

Panting, the kunoichi leapt aside again, this time landing abruptly and precariously close to the source of gushing water.

A raging, towering waterfall. She was perched on a wet boulder right at the very edge of the cascading water.

Her mind clicked. Yes, yes she'd seen this waterfall before. She'd been here before with her team on one of their more relaxed missions. Kakashi-sensei had even allowed them some time to explore it.

Sakura spun around, and as expected, saw the red-haired puppet-master facing her.

Oh, he was undoubtedly pissed off. Although none of that displayed on his emotionless face.

The pink-haired kunoichi smirked dryly, at the same time swallowing a lump of fear in her throat.

"You think you've got me cornered, don't you?" Sakura asked rhetorically.

He gave no reaction, watching her intently with eyes which glinted red in the dark.

She straightened up, taking a backward step so that she was dangling one foot back, the cool splattering of water reaching up to her knees.

"Puppeteers have a weakness," Sakura said out loud. "Those chakra threads you use to control puppets are not omnipotent."

At least…she hoped her hypothesis was right. It'd save her the trouble of getting wet for nothing.

Sasori inclined his head slightly to one side. For a moment he didn't speak, simply continuing to watch her with those blank, calculating eyes.

"…Are you testing my patience, little girl?"

His eyelids lowered slightly, adding a scornful edge to those eyes. The red-haired puppet-master threw back one arm, sliding a rolled-up scroll out from the sleeve of his cloak.

Leisurely, Sasori raised the scroll, unrolling it with one hand.

"…I am not a patient man."

The scroll burst into a cloud of smoke, enveloping him for a short moment.

For that agonizing short moment Sakura feared and dreaded what would appear.

It wasn't the Sandaime Kazekage. Thank god. Just a puppet she had never seen before.

With…huge-ass claws.

Sakura leapt back, crashing through the torrent of ice-cold water, as those poisonous claws smashed into the rock before her.

Stumbling to a stand, the kunoichi quickly averted to a further place on the ledge behind the waterfall as those claws came through again.

So that's how he planned to deal with it; by bringing out a puppet with weapons long enough to reach from the outside.

As if that wasn't enough, the freak was planning to drive her out, too, by releasing a cloud of poisonous gas from the arm of his puppet.

Which meant he couldn't tell where her exact location was, right?

Sakura held her breath, drawing out another kunai and explosion note from her beltpouch.

The claws swiped through the waterfall again, behind her. She reacted immediately, throwing her kunai into the rock above the embedded claws.

The explosion actually worked in the way she'd hopedf. The loose rocks which tumbled down trapped the puppet's extended arm momentarily. It was enough time for her to smash Sasori's puppet into pieces as she charged out from behind the waterfall.

Sakura gasped for breath as she fell, extending her hands at her sides with chakra to lessen the impact before she plunged back-first into the lake below.

At least she'd taken out one of his puppets. Hopefully he didn't have a backup prepared.

The currents were strong. It took longer than expected before the medic-nin resurfaced, inhaling much-needed oxygen and sneezing water out from her nose.

Sakura scanned her surroundings, blinking rapidly to get the film of water out of her green eyes as she struggled up to somewhat of a stand on the surface of the flowing water.

…Where was he…?

Hopefully…not in the water? Anywhere but in the water…please…!

"…Looking for something?"

There he was. Not right behind her, as she'd feared. She slipped and regained her balance, realizing in horror that the flow of the currents beneath her feet would carry her to him eventually if she didn't consciously maintain her distance.

Sasori was facing her, across the body of water where the lake surface was less turbulent. Why didn't she find it so surprising that he could stand on water with that puppet body?

His red eyes darkened coldly. The puppet-master shook another scroll out, from his other sleeve.

Sakura gulped as he raised and unrolled that summoning scroll, too.

"…I'll have you this time."

A puff of smoke erupted from the scroll as he said that.

Sakura tensed, readying herself for whatever trick the red-haired puppet had up his sleeve.

…But nothing could have mentally prepared her for the sight of the new puppet he brought up which…seemingly…spun around in a full circle halfway in its flight towards her, jerked, and sank gurgling into the lake.

The kunoichi was still trying to figure out what _the hell_ is up with that when Sasori made a sound of exasperation.

"…Tsch."

The red-haired puppet-master had raised a hand to tap two fingers against one thin eyebrow. For a puppet, he sure possessed a full range of naturalistic expressions. 'Negative' expressions, that is.

"Oh my," Sasori's voice droned out, "…this is just a tad embarrassing."

Rather than _looking _embarrassed as he claimed, however, the puppet-man was glaring at her with no less than murderous intent.

Sakura felt one of her eyes cringe in confusion. She wet her lips. "You're saying that…you can't even make your puppets float on top of water?"

His eyes widened. Whichever way the kunoichi had interpreted that gesture, she couldn't be too far off if she was retreating from him.

How_ dare_ she belittle him. If he wasn't stuck in the current state his chakra control was in, she'd already be sliced into bits the moment his eyes had caught sight of her unsightly pink hair in the Hidden Leaf village.

'_Although,'_ he thought expressionlessly as he reached his hand to his cloak's high collar, '_that might have been a waste.' _

With a hard jerk, Sasori tore loose the front of his cloak, slipping one arm out so that the scroll-holder component on his back was easily accessible.

There was no point in bringing out any more human puppets. At this point he was not able to control such complex mechanisms properly. He hadn't even been able to unlock their individual bloodline limits.

But that didn't mean he was out of options.

"Are you a fool?"

The pink-haired kunoichi perked up at his unexpected question.

Sasori returned her frown with a lazy smile.

"Tossing yourself into a flow of water…all you've managed to accomplish is to throw any rescue teams off your tail."

She bristled visibly at that.

"I don't need anyone to come rescue me. I'll damn take care of you myself!"

…

"…Is that so?" Sasori asked tonelessly. He lifted a finger, attaching a chakra string to the topmost scroll on his back.

…Fine. He'll give it to her. She had managed to get him into a slight disadvantage. And from that confident glare in her piercing green eyes, she knew just how to use that disadvantage.

He hadn't expected to have to resort to this so soon.

If Deidara ever found out how long it took for him to deal with one little brat the second time round, he'll never hear the end of it.

Sasori drew the scroll from its slot, catching it with one hand.

"Come, then," he issued her the challenge.

The kunoichi reacted by slamming her fist into the water below her feet.

A huge, towering wave rolled up from that blow, shielding her from view. The surface below his feet wobbled forcefully from the effect.

It could've worked, Sasori noted disinterestedly, if it weren't so predictable.

The puppet-master leapt aside as a pink-haired figure punched out from the lake beneath. Most likely a clone, to be daring such close proximity while knowing that he uses poison.

Upon missing her target, the clone spun, using the same momentum of the first attack, and unleashed a row of flying shuriken.

Sasori arched back automatically to duck them.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind.

What-

A flash of red drew his attention upward.

Not a clone. The puppet-master realized this at the same time he realized that the shuriken she had thrown were simply to divert his attention from the real clone which emerged from below to hold him in place.

The kunoichi's chakra-laden fist smashed into him from above.

…

…The strength of her punch had scattered his body parts. It took longer than usual to reassemble himself back together while submerged in water.

When Sasori resurfaced, hair dripping water down the surface of his sleek, wet skin, the kunoichi was still panting heavily. His eyes narrowed ominously.

"And what…exactly…was the point of that?"

As if a little water was going to hurt him. She should have known better than that.

The pink-haired kunoichi met his display of malevolence with a defiant smile.

"You-…" her green eyes shone with triumph as she gasped out between breaths "…can you still-…still use those scrolls-…when they're-…wet?"

Sasori's red-carnation eyes fixated on her incredulously. So the true intention behind all of that was-…?

_This girl-!_

She straightened up, her shoulders rising and falling rapidly as she reached to her side and took out a kunai in her hand.

"That's what you get for underestimating me!" she spat, glaring angrily. "Now, things get serious!"

…

…For a full-seasoned S-class criminal like him to have made such a fatal error.

Sasori blinked slowly, trying – and failing – to recall any other time when he had been made such a fool of.

A mere girl who didn't even possess a bloodline limit.

"…I was planning to take it easy on you, brat."

The man-puppet gave each of his limbs a small twist. Long, sharp blades protruded out, ripping through the dark fabric of his cloak.

Sakura felt her stance falter for a split second. How did he even fit all of those inside that life-size puppet body of his?

Those blades were everywhere – not literally, but still. A perfect defense against close combatants.

She needed to rethink her plan. At this rate-

Her enemy came at her, drawing out yet another katana in one hand.

He was fast.

Sakura summoned chakra to her feet, leaping up just as he thrust that katana out at her.

At the same instant, two thin lines of wires flew out of his sleeve along with that thrust, rounding themselves around her leg.

What-!?

He yanked her down. She hissed as a sharp pain pierced through her upper leg.

_Shit!_

"Now…"

Sakura bit her lip, face contorting in pain as he brought her to eye-level with one hand on her throat.

"What will it be?" his low, sinister voice questioned monotonously as his red eyes stared back at her blankly. "Your hamstrings? …Or not; you might be able to heal that, too."

Abruptly, Sasori tore the blade of his katana from her leg.

"I can take your arms," he mused, in all seriousness.

…_Oh god…_

That awful, numbing sensation had already taken up one leg, and was making its move towards the rest of her body.

But for some reason that numbing did not freeze the nerves which signaled pain that pulsed through her wound. Says a lot about his sadistic tendencies.

Sakura drew up her fist. And found the edge of his katana pressed warningly across her chest, ending at the base of her chin.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She held back. Not because she was going to listen to whatever an S-rank criminal was going to say. But because she was already losing chakra control in her arms.

"You _so_ look like a mop right now," Sakura snarled out before darkness crept over her vision.

Take that.

* * *

It took her a much shorter time to regain consciousness this time. Perhaps owing to the fact that his poison might have gotten a bit diluted after being soaked in water.

The first sign he noticed had been her shivering. That was a reflexive response of the muscles to induce homeostasis in cold conditions.

Sasori stopped moving. The girl was beginning to make accelerated puffs of breath which were visible in the night air.

He had forgotten how fragile a human body is.

With an impatient frown, the puppet-master laid the Leaf kunoichi down against the base of a tree.

"DON'T!" she boomed when he reached for zipper of her red top.

…

…If she could still protest that loud, then there should be no problem.

"Ah…argh…" the pink-haired kunoichi lolled to one side. She couldn't lift a finger, but Sasori was beginning to suspect that she'd only been pretending to be unconscious for the whole time.

"…I can't believe this is happening…" the girl was half-whimpering to herself, perhaps forgetting that he was there "…oh god…it's _my fault_ if Sai got killed…!"

She then closed her eyes and grimaced in pain.

…

Rather than the danger of hypothermia. Rather than the deep, ugly wound in her leg which was bleeding a trail behind them. Rather than the fact that she was at the mercy of a deadly, merciless missing-nin.

_That._ was the first thing she was worrying about?

"Do you wish to see your beloved 'Sai' again?"

Her wide, green eyes snapped up.

So she _had_ forgotten his presence.

Those eyes watched him as he leaned over her.

"Then get me the thing I asked for."

She did not answer.

Sasori gave her a lazy smile.

"…Or do you still not understand your situation, yet?" he asked malevolently.

She wet her lips. Her green eyes averted to one side.

He found it vaguely amusing how easy it is to read her dishonesty.

"…Fine," she answered finally, her voice barely above a wavering whisper. "But I'll require your help…"

His smile broadened, despite himself.

So the brat wanted to do things the hard way.

"As you wish," Sasori said with underlining meaning. He watched as her eyes twitched lightly.

"Just don't keep me waiting."

* * *

**A/N: **Not to worry; Sasuke's not out of the picture. However his part doesn't start developing till a bit later.

**Luna Moonsurf:** I have a permanent citizenship in Tangent, and thanks!

**Emo:** Come on, you know I've never admitted Itachi is a bishie… Itachi is a…a…-whispers- _a_ _god!_ –ducks shuriken from Sasori fans-

Glad you guys like this so far! Tell me what you think, it'll help!


	5. Only a Suggestion

"Tobi!" Deidara halted in his task for the umpteenth time to complain to the masked Akatsuki next to him. "Tell me _why_ exactly are we digging!?"

"…Because Tobi asked Senpai for help?" Tobi suggested.

"WELL," the blonde threw up his arms in exasperation and yelled "_WHY _are we, badass criminals like us, using these pathetic-" Deidara waved his shovel over his head "-pathetic-…THINGS, Un! Just why can't I just blow a hole to flatten this goddamn area and get it over with!?"

"**Go ahead," **Zetsu's voices rasped, "I dare you."

Deidara shut up with a gulp.

"**I'm already letting you two invade my garden patch.** So hurry the hell up, will ya?"

"I _would_," the blonde man bit out, "if that _idiot _over there actually did anything to help, yeah!"

'That idiot' looked up at the uncanny feeling that someone was talking about him. "Tobi is doing his best to help Deidara-senpai," the masked man announced while waving his glass of lemonade.

"…"

"…Tobi," Deidara growled out warningly. "Tell me how sitting back with a glass of lemonade constitutes for helping, Hm?"

"Maybe the thing we're looking for will get thirsty and come out for a drink?" Tobi suggested.

The swirly-masked man 'eep'ed when Deidara loomed over him menacingly with a shovel raised high above his head.

"Tobi, do you know what this thing is in my hand, Un?" the long-haired blonde asked.

"Tobi knows! Tobi knows! It is-…" he lowered his voice "…-_a shovel!_ Really, Senpai, don't you even kno-"

"I _KNOW_ IT IS A SHOVEL!" Deidara bellowed. "But do you know what I am going to do with this shovel!?"

"You're going to…dig with it?" Tobi tried.

"…"

Deidara's visible eyebrow furrowed threateningly.

"…You're going to…hit Zetsu-san over the head with it?" Tobi tried again, his voice getting a bit quieter each time.

"Guess again," Deidara snarled.

Tobi gasped in utter terror. "You're going to…-ulp-…hit Senpai yourself over the head with it!?"

_-WHACK._

* * *

**Stage Five: Only a Suggestion**

* * *

She screeched.

He glared.

Or rather, his red, half-lidded eyes fluttered up to meet hers.

"…If it were just under any normal circumstance," Sasori told her coldly, "I would have no qualms about letting you bleed to death as you so vehemently desire."

Sakura met his unfeeling eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Now, we both know that wouldn't do either of us any good," the puppet-master went on as if chiding an unruly child. "Behave."

Again, his lukewarm fingers brushed her skin and she cringed inwardly at the contact.

"STOP!" Sakura shrunk – inwardly – away from Sasori's expressionless stare. "…Uhm…please?" she added meekly.

…A part of her mind wondered why he actually _did _pause in his action of wrapping up the wound on her leg. It wasn't like she could move…or do anything to stop him.

The man-puppet continued his unnerving stare. He was kneeling, down on one knee, next to her injured leg. Just his presence was unnerving enough already, she didn't need his silence, too. Otherwise he'd keep reminding her eerily of a silent porcelain doll, a deadly monster in disguise of a seraphim angel.

It was scary. In the dark, that emotionless visage of his was scary.

"…Can't I…do this myself?" Sakura interrupted the awkward silence by saying.

"Hmph. I won't fall for the same trick twice, little girl."

"I'm too depleted to be using chakra right now!" the medic-nin protested.

"Then you won't be able to heal it anyway," Sasori replied, and Sakura detected an undertone of annoyance.

"I just don't want you touching me!" she finally admitted with exasperation.

"…"

That blank red gaze seemed to be passing right through her.

"Hm?" The red-haired puppet-master drew back his hand, tipping his head lazily to one side. He asked her as if he were remotely interested in the response, "Why?"

"Because!" Sakura hissed through her teeth. "…This is so wrong to me in _at least_ five different ways!"

…

Abruptly, he threw the bandage roll down. Sakura wondered briefly if she had managed to offend him.

The kunoichi shut her eyes in preparation as he made move as if to strike her.

…But the only things she felt were two pricks on either of her bare shoulders.

"Listen carefully," Sasori's low voice hummed darkly next to her forehead, "I am already at the end of my patience."

He meant that as a warning, she knew. Sakura nodded mutely. He was so close to her right then, she couldn't even think of a clear response. It wasn't until Sasori pulled back that she stopped holding her breath.

Relief flooded back into her arms. Sakura flexed her fingers under his silent scrutiny.

It hurt. Yeah, the wound he jabbed into her upper leg. But she won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears.

Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't done much worse the first time they fought.

"I'm not going to be able to help you with an injury like this, you know," Sakura said scathingly as she worked on bandaging up the wound to prevent further blood loss.

"Worry about that when the time comes."

Right, right. She still needed to come up with a feasible plot.

"How do I know you're not going to turn around and kill me after it's over?" Sakura asked, her mouth dry, deciding to buy herself some time.

…She hadn't had the opportunity or mindset to observe him from up close before.

His lashes were real, not just mere painted lines. His two thin eyebrows were likely real as well, though it was hard to tell with them being perfectly formed. From his eye shapes to the tip of his nose and to the level of his ears on either side of his head, everything was perfectly symmetrical – something unseen in natural occurrences. With the exception of his lips when he did his lopsided smirk.

Such as the one he was wearing at the moment.

"That entirely depends on how long you keep me waiting."

Sakura bit back a shiver at his cruel words.

"…We must return to Konoha…" the kunoichi said evenly, and just a tad hesitantly.

That sinister, somewhat plastic smile of his did not ease from his lips.

…

She was in. _so much trouble._

* * *

He had known it was a trap since the start.

Although even in his observant eyes of an artist, there had been nothing amiss with the kunoichi's semblance.

But Haruno Sakura never greeted him with a smile which was not at least a little nonplussed.

"…So you saw through that."

With the blade of his katana pressed against her throat, she turned her head to slant a look back at him. The curtain of rose-pink hair lifted aside to reveal red Sharingan.

A crack of misplaced air from behind.

Sai darted back, reacting in time to avoid the swipe of Sasuke's sword.

"Uchiha Sasuke. So you appear."

The last Uchiha stood, in a bored and relaxed stance, before him in the center of the training ground.

"Heh." Sasuke inclined his head to one side, letting his long obsidian hair on either side of his face drift freely with the breeze. "_You_ are the best they have to offer?"

His demeanor as he said that very much reminded the Root member of their first encounter back at Orochimaru's lair.

"_This __is my replacement?"_ Sasuke had remarked with disinterested back then.

"If you waited until Sakura-san had gone out of sight," Sai replied calmly, going over his strategy in his head, "then Sasuke-san must not be underestimating me."

Red eyes regarded him coolly before Sasuke replied, "Waiting till she had left before acknowledging my presence. You must be underestimating _me_."

Without another word the Leaf-defector thrust his sword down into the ground. The dry earth beneath cracked and split into thin crevasses, webbing out from the center of that thrust.

Sai slid back, reaching over his shoulder to pull loose the scroll he had prepared beforehand.

This guy is _good_. Sai realized this as his katana and Sasuke's mundane-level Kusanagi countered each other in a flurry of parries. His swordsmanship was at least as advanced as an ANBU captain's would be.

The Root member fanned open his scroll with a flick of his wrist.

_**Ninpou: Choujuu Giga **_

In a puff of black cloud, ink hawks and serpents sprawled out from the surface of the paper.

The black beast imitations kept pouring forth as their target, Uchiha Sasuke, successfully evaded their paths.

Sasuke possessed both speed and foresight. Which is why direct assaults would probably not work on him.

"This…"

His red Sharingan eyes widened as noticed. Sasuke glanced up and saw that the pattern the ink serpents were tracing on the ground linked back to the scroll in Sai's hands.

_**Ninpou: Choujuuori Giga**_

The black ink lines which were spread on the ground twitched up and stitched themselves into the form of a giant kylin, its captive trapped within its abstract walls.

"This is a special jutsu designed to take prisoners back during espionage missions," Sai explained. "Since my orders are to detain you, I will seal you inside this scroll."

"…Hn."

Calmly, Sasuke sheathed his sword. He didn't appear worried in the least when the ink started dissolving into the soles of his sandals.

"Did you really think it'd be that simple?"

Those red eyes flashed open. With his hands running through fast, rapid seal formations, Sasuke inhaled a deep breath.

Sai leapt up as a low sheet of flame blew through the gaps of the ink-cage and blanketed over the ground. The Root member realized that something was off when he observed the way the flames licked into the thin cracks in the dry earth which Sasuke's thrust had split earlier.

An explosion. Not of massive scale, but it was enough.

"So you shielded yourself with that ink," Sasuke observed when the smoke and debris had cleared a view.

His Sharingan picked up movement from below. Ink serpents struck out from the broken surface of the earth, attempting to wind themselves around him.

Briskly, Sasuke jumped out of the way, and did a swift back-flip in mid-air as Sai's ink hawks swooped down at him.

What an annoyance.

Gripping the hilt of his Kusanagi, Sasuke concentrated chakra to his sword arm. Immediately, his Chidori charged down along the blade of his sword. He swung the sword down, slicing a path all the way to Sai's position and causing the artist to dodge to one side.

Using the same momentum, Sasuke spun and brought his sword up, splitting all the ink beast imitations in one motion.

"Genjutsu," the young Uchiha offered as a way of explanation. "That is why you didn't see me placing those explosive tags." He smirked coldly.

"And also…"

Sasuke raised one hand, in the form of a seal, before himself. "Kai."

Instantly, Sai's eyes widened as the illusion was lifted. He had been caught in the clutches of his own ink serpents.

"Weak," Sasuke's bored tone sounded from behind him as a stab of pain thrust through his abdomen. The paralyzing effect of the lightning user's jutsu took over simultaneously.

"Just let me ask you one thing." Sasuke did not release him right away. "Why are you so intent on protecting these 'bonds'?" the Leaf-defector asked tonelessly. "You could have done better if not for your repeated attempts to capture me unharmed."

The guy was actually smiling. "Because the bonds which are precious to my friends are also precious to me."

…

What is up with this guy?

"Hn." Abruptly, Sasuke wrenched his sword loose and watched as his opponent drop down to his knees.

"You won't be able to protect your 'friends' if that's the only thing you're worried about."

With a swing to one side, Sasuke splattered the blood off from his sword.

"Naruto will not stop chasing me. Sakura will eventually come to me. Nothing will ever change if you cannot take my place."

Sheathing Kusanagi into its scabbard behind him, Sasuke gazed down with one final taunt with his mocking red eyes before turning away.

"…Well, do your best."

* * *

…

"…_Well, I've done my best. It's all up to him, now…."_

"…_Oh, what timing, he's-…"_

"Sai."

Slowly at first, his vision refocused on the face of Captain Yamato.

"Stop right there! You can't get up so soon!"

That female voice belonged to the Hokage's right-hand woman, Shizune. The medic woman pushed Yamato out of the way to hold him down to the hospital bed.

"You really went over your limit, you know, boy!" Shizune snapped down at him, mildly hurting his ears. "If it weren't for you sending a message back with your ink imitation when you were fighting Sasuke, you might as well be dead!"

"Sakura-san."

A hesitant pause.

Sai looked from the masked expressions of one to the other.

"Did Sasuke take her?" the Root member asked plainly.

"…"

It was Yamato who took over with the answering.

"That is what we speculate to have happened. However, when we found you and Sasuke, Sakura is thought to be missing already. And it appears that from the lack of any other scent that she had left alone."

Sai stared back wordlessly, several thoughts starting to filter into his mind.

"But you don't need to worry," Captain Yamato assured him. "Naruto has been sent after them. You know how he is; he wouldn't let his teammate get hurt even if it means chasing her to the end of the world."

…

"Sai!" Shizune restrained him. "Don't even think of going anywhere! These wounds are serious!"

He breathed out heavily, straining with the effort.

"I'll leave him to you, Shizune-san," Yamato said to her.

Sai only heard his words dimly as if separated by a wall of water.

"By the way," the man turned back to say, "I've been sent over to ask; has Sakura been behaving in any way remotely suspicious in the past few days?"

He thought back.

The occasional broken phrases she had let out in her nightmares. The way she glanced over at the frame of the picture of the former Team Seven when she thought he wasn't watching. The way she had deliberately left Naruto in the dark. The way she had consistently distanced herself from him, her guard.

"No."

"Is that so?" Yamato let out a small breath from the corner of his mouth. "Well that's a relief. …_Either way, I hope they have been found by now..."_

Black spots were dotting the corners of his vision.

"…_Anyway, you should rest-…"_

By then, Sai had already been dragged back into the black oblivion.

…

A blank, deep, and somewhat uneasy slumber.

* * *

Dun dun dun...not?

_**A/N:**_ _Nope, not much Sasori this chapter. But I warn you, I won't add extra scenes for no reason heh heh. Everything is needed for development, so it's best not to skip any even if you hate some of the pairings. You do want to see that love triangle thingy don't you? Yes, yes you do!_

_But I still believe Sasori's the gentlest among all/most Akatsuki members -shifty eyes-_

**Luna Moonsurf:** Omg, we needa make an avatar of Sasori that says "One Smexy Mop" LOL I will so totally put that in my profile!

**Koneko Ninja Tora:** …Am I the only one who does not possess an Itachi plushie? T.T

**P.S:** I think someone noticed the irony of all the names starting with 'SA' –looks at Tsuki479- It wasn't intentional I swear!


	6. A Plan

"This is…"

"Blood," the nin-dog which was with them confirmed his thought. "And it doesn't look that fresh. Maybe if I-"

"Don't go near it!" Kakashi's voice shot out abruptly.

Both Naruto and the canine tracker looked back, stopping short in their tracks.

Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief. He had noticed a moment earlier that the color was a bit off. It could be a trap of sorts.

"You sure this is Sakura's scent?" the Leaf Jounin asked of his nin-dog helper.

"Aye, this trail of blood is hers alright."

Naruto had gone pale. His sensei saw this as a warning signal to take the lead or be chasing after his student for the next half hour or so.

This wasn't good. Their eight-member searching party had already split up back at the edge of the waterfall where the original trail disappeared.

"I see." Kakashi glanced again at the blonde boy. It wasn't very likely that he'd be able to convince Naruto to remain here until everyone else has gathered.

"We can take over from here," the Jounin told his nin-dog. "Find the others and point them in our direction."

* * *

**Stage Six: A Plan**

* * *

How long had it been?

Her eyelids were tugging downwards persistently as she valiantly fought to stay awake.

But she couldn't let sleep drag her down.

Not that she didn't want to, but-

"You can forget about waiting till I let my guard down," _he_ observed idly. "I do not need rest."

…-but there was something uncanny about falling asleep in the presence of a life-sized, unblinking doll. Well, not a doll, he's not cute- well, he_ is_ cute enough, but-

Okay, her brain was shutting down.

No, no, not good.

As a medic-nin, Sakura was aware that her chakra expenditure had been too much. If she fell asleep there was no telling if she could manage to pull herself back into consciousness again.

Couldn't he be doing something more…distracting?

Such as…taking apart his forearm to replace a glass tube of liquid violet with one of liquid black.

…

"…What are you doing?" Sakura found herself asking, feeling strangely awake all of a sudden.

That looked. so wrong. In a variety of different ways.

Sasori paid no heed to her at first. He took care to make sure that the new capsule of poison was securely fastened before sliding his forearm back into its rightful position with a click.

He glanced up to her wide, green eyes. Eyes the truest, crispest kind of green jade. They reflected everything, both external and within.

"Hm? Little girl, have you forgotten?" Sasori graced her with an unsettling, lazy half-lidded smile. "…I am a poison specialist."

Those sharp green eyes of hers hardened.

"Since you do require my assistance," the puppet-master went on smoothly with a light drawl, "I will not hold back."

Through his ebony lashes, he watched her reaction.

He would be a fool if he trusted her words. She would be a fool if she thought he trusted her.

They both knew that very well.

…

The kunoichi stared back at him quietly. The wet ends of her rosette-pink locks clung to her cold, shivering skin. She showed no outward signs of ordinary child terror, even though she must have caught the drift of what he was implying.

"You will…take me back?" Those were the first words out of her chapped lips. Not hopeful. Not surprised. Distrustful.

Oh, she was wise to not trust him either. She knew that his promise could be no less than a lie.

This was simply a game of opportunity and deceit. An unspoken dare on both ends.

…

His garnet-colored eyes regarded her for a long, contemplative moment.

Sakura flattened herself back against the tree bark behind her when Sasori reached a hand out towards her.

"What are you doing…?" she whispered. He didn't mind her whispering. It had none of that sweet, girly tint to her usual voice.

"Hmph." Sasori answered her without hesitation, "Putting you to sleep."

"What!?"

She had hit his hand away before it reached the pressure point on her neck.

"I. don't. think so." Sakura spat out in hostility.

His eyes of red glass narrowed just enough to show his disagreement.

"Is this how you've been taught to behave as a captive, brat?" Sasori's low voice asked with a faint audible hiss.

'**Hell yeah,'** is what inner Sakura would've said.

"Is this how you've been taught to treat a girl, _geezer?_"

Oh right. Like that sounded any better.

In a matter of seconds a crushing grip on her throat was pressing her hard against the rough surface of the bark behind her.

"_Adorable_," she heard Sasori's sarcastic, snide remark. His cold eyes bore into her as he told her darkly, "But I advise you to stop."

Sakura wisely kept her mouth shut.

"Now…" Those red eyes of his seemed to be glaring at her in the dark. "Tell me how I am supposed to carry you, if you are so set on not being touched by me."

She stared back blankly.

He raised a good question. However, she'd rather not be unconscious and oblivious to what was happening if it could be helped.

"You can…let go of me first," Sakura pointed out, "and then let me walk on my own?"

He stared back with ill-masked impatience. There it was again. That look of his which told her exactly how childish he perceived her to be.

"I can move on my own!" she snapped as she felt him position his thumb over that spot at the base of her throat. She hated getting her pressure points pressed.

'_That's it!' _the medic-nin thought with a vengeance as her vision blurred.

'_I am __so_ _going to carry out that plan.'_

* * *

"Saaaasuke-kun."

He glanced back nonchalantly over his shoulder as she sidled closer to him by the fire.

The white patch was still stuck over one side of his face, where his dark purple bruise was healing. The place on his lower lip which got cut was swelling red.

Gawd…he was _soooo _sexy, even looking like that.

"…What is it, Karin?"

Oh, he said her name!

"…You're making Suigestu stand two watches in a row?" Sasuke inquired absently, glancing out of the mouth of the cave where it was raining. "He might catch a cold."

Ah, Sasuke. Oblivious to her schemes, as usual. That's why he's _sooo _cute!

"Don't worry about that idiot," she huffed, "he's too dumb to catch anything."

"_I heard that, you bitch!"_

"Serves you right for slacking off in your duties!"

Karin turned back and adjusted her frames. "Besides, I'm good enough to take care of things. You don't _need_ a medic."

"Have you accomplished what I've told you to?"

She bristled at Sasuke's cold and unsatisfactory reply.

"O-of course!" she reported hurriedly. "Anyhow, it's best to lie low for now, after your two consecutive appearances in Konoha. But don't worry."

She allowed herself a smug grin, confident that her plan would work.

"That girl will come to you without you having to lift a finger."

* * *

…

It was the pain which roused her from her slumber.

The first thing she did was to reach back and grab a fistful of his strangely-silky-despite-its-metallic-appearance hair.

"Put me down you bastard."

Sakura panted, feeling the jagged line of pain coursing through her leg. She didn't let go of his hair.

After a long pause she felt two hands encircle her waist.

He yanked her off his shoulder, glaring up at her with his sinister red eyes because she was still holding onto his hair, thereby causing him to incline his head forward awkwardly while holding her up before him.

"What a rude little girl."

She kicked him. Hard.

Well, see…she didn't actually expect that she'd be able to move her legs that well. But apparently that poison of his had limited duration of effect.

That was how Sakura found herself atop a very ominous looking puppet-man.

…

With his mouth set in a thin, straight line, Sasori slid out his katana with a click. His blank, wide eyes stared unblinkingly up at her.

"This…will be unpleasant, brat."

She saw through his move, gripping her hand over his wrist right before the tip of his katana touched the side of her neck.

Was he…trying to _kill _her, now?

Her strength hadn't returned yet. Sakura gripped her forearm with her free hand to reinforce it.

"…Oh?" Sasori's dark voice drawled disinterestedly, "I thought you were intent on avoiding contact with me?"

"You have. no idea." Sakura shot back. At least she was wearing gloves. Did he have to look totally laid-back at this while she was straining to prevent that blade from touching her!?

"Let go of the sword," she warned him. She wasn't sure what method she could come up with, but his 'heart' was right there before her at the moment.

He was unfazed by her shallow threat. The long strands of scarlet-red hair which fanned out around his head rustled softly as he twitched his head to one side. "Get up," the puppet-master ordered.

"Let go of the sword first."

…

Neither of them was going to compromise, she realized. No, it was more like, he_ could_ use one way or another to throw her off and she knew it, but she was _not _going to obey him.

Sasori's eyelids drooped down in a bored manner, giving her a full view of his dense row of black lashes.

"Are you done being childish?"

Sakura was about to make a retort to that. But she stopped.

There was something lurking behind that coy smile of his this time. A silent menace which seeped poison into his words.

She must not forget that her enemy was none other than a full-fledged criminal ninja. That angelic face really was disarming.

…Her hands were actually trembling.

Quite suddenly, he dropped his arm away, almost causing her to fall over because she had been pushing against it.

Next thing she knew, Sasori was pulling her up by her arm, and then they were eye to eye.

"One of your little friends has found us."

Sakura's eyes widened as his cold, leveled words sank in.

"I suggest you play smart."

Before she could think another thought, a familiar voice jolted her.

"Sakura!"

Na-

Sakura shot a glance back over her shoulder. But the puppet-master was gone.

Where did he-!?

"Sakura-chan!?"

"I'm here, Naruto!" Sakura called back, wincing in pain as she got shakily to her feet.

That familiar figure of blonde and orange.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto let out in a breath of relief.

"Are you alone?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked incredulously. "Don't come near me!"

Naruto balked in stunned confusion. "W-why!?" Then all caution was discarded when he took in her haggard state. "Sakura! You're hurt!"

She saw him, sliding behind the blonde with his katana drawn in hand. Naruto was oblivious to the imminent danger he was in. Apparently being a puppet allowed one to mask their chakra a lot better.

"You-!" Her green eyes narrowed in anger. Naruto was taken aback.

"Huh-?"

That freak. Was he attempting to hold her teammate as a hostage against her!? Well, she'll have him know that she won't be controlled that easily.

Sakura set her jaw determinedly. "Naruto. Behind you."

She met Sasori's cold and calculating eyes as Naruto spun around to look.

Sasori smiled.

His hand moved. He pulled.

Her arm jerked forward involuntarily.

_What-!? _

Sakura realized in horror what was happening.

When had he done it? When he pulled her up by the arm earlier!?

Naruto looked back in time to see what was happening. But not in time to do anything about it.

"Sak-?"

The punch sent him tumbling back. Until the long blade of a katana impaled through his midriff.

"NARUTO!" the kunoichi screamed.

Naruto vanquished in a small explosion of smoke.

…

A heavy pause. Sakura sank to her knees, still suffering the aftereffect of shock.

It had been a shadow clone.

Of course; it wouldn't have made sense for them to allow Naruto to be left on his own.

"…You…"

Slowly, the medic-nin glared up. She had not hated anyone this much since Orochimaru.

Breathing heavily from the effort, Sakura rose to a stand.

"You were going to _kill _him just now, weren't you?"

Sasori's lazy eyes seemed to be mocking her.

"If that hadn't been a clone, he would have died, wouldn't he?"

He didn't provide her an answer. The tiny smile which tugged at the corner of his lips said enough.

…What the hell was she even asking?

This was an S-ranked criminal who was currently facing her. S-ranked in the bingo book, which meant he was wanted across more than one shinobi nation.

A dangerous, merciless killer. Who also claimed to be immortal. But she didn't buy that.

"You are a sick, deceitful, manipulative bastard," Sakura spat.

Sick. deceitful. manipulative. bastard. The fact that her accusations bounced right off him, was it a good thing or a bad thing?

"…So you finally understand?" he asked after she regained her breath, his voice light and nonchalant.

She narrowed her hard green eyes and returned his show of indifference with a testy smile.

…

'**Congratulations, mop-top. **_**You**_** have just successfully pissed me off.'**

…And she was going to _take this bastard down_.

* * *

"Naruto?"

Kakashi landed a stop on the tree branch. He backtracked.

"What is it? Did you find them?"

The boy had abruptly fallen behind. He wore a troubled countenance when he lifted his head up.

"Oh-...yeah…"

…_?_

"What's the matter? Was the chakra usage too much?" He'd warned him not to overdo it. Clones were quite a task to maintain at such a long distance from its source.

"No. I-…" Naruto looked a bit distracted. "I found them, so let's hurry!"

* * *

Dun dun dun...what happens now?

**A/N:** _Aw, you guys, thanks for letting me know about the 'bitch' part. XD I would've never found out otherwise. Yeah, okay let me see that truth will affect my writing. Please do keep pointing out my misinterpretations when you see any!_

_This isn't to say I won't make Sasori evil. He has too much potential… _

**Luna Moonsurf:** I love the rambling, by the way. Ramble away! XD


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